Begonia plant named &#39;Puff Pink&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct form of  Begonia  plant characterized by attractive dark chocolate brown leaves with green veins, numerous double pink flowers, an upright habit when young, becoming decumbent with maturity, an extremely long bloom time, a caudiciform base, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Begonia hybrid

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Puff Pink’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia, of the family Begoniaceae, and given the cultivar name, ‘Puff Pink’. The new cultivar originated from a cross between a Nonstop™ Mocca Mix Begonia, an unpatented tuberous Begonia, as the seed parent and Begonia dregei ‘Richardsiana’, an unpatented semi-tuberous Begonia, as the pollen parent. This selection is uniquely characterized by:

1. attractive dark chocolate brown leaves with green veins,

2. numerous double pink flowers,

3. an upright habit when young, becoming decumbent with maturity,

4. an extremely long bloom time,

5. a caudiciform base, and

6. excellent vigor.

Compared to the seed parent, a Nonstop™ Mocca Begonia, the new cultivar has a larger habit with smaller and more numerous flowers that bloom over a much longer period.

Compared to the pollen parent, Begonia dregei ‘Richardsiana’, the new cultivar has larger, darker leaves, larger flowers that are double rather than single and pink rather than white, and no silver spots on the leaves.

Compared to the pink flowered Rieger Begonias (Begonia×hiemalis), unpatented, the new cultivar has dark foliage with green veins rather than green leaves.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (leaf and stem cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by micropropagation as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a two year old plant of the new cultivar in a warm greenhouse in June in full bloom in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Begonia cultivar based on observations of 18-month-old specimens grown in two gallon containers in a warm greenhouse in early April in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to 32° F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—herbaceous, caudiciform perennial.         -   Form.—upright when young, caulescent, becoming decumbent             with maturity.         -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 10.         -   Size.—grows to 28 cm tall and 31 cm wide.         -   Vigor.—excellent. -   Stem:     -   -   Type.—upright in the first season, becoming decumbent with             age.         -   Size.—grows to 21 cm long and 7 mm wide (mature stems will             grow to 45 cm long and 12 mm wide if left on the plant).         -   Internodes.—from 7 mm to 4 cm long.         -   Surface.—glabrous.         -   Color.—Grey Brown N199A. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type—simple.         -   Arrangement.—alternate.         -   Shape.—obliquely ovate.         -   Margins.—coarsely serrate, with 5 to 6 shallow lobes.         -   Apex.—acute to acuminate.         -   Base.—oblique and truncate.         -   Venation.—palmate, Green 143A topside, Yellow Green 144B             bottom side.         -   Blade size.—grows to 5.5 cm wide and 10.5 cm long.         -   Surface texture.—sparsely pubescent on top and glabrous on             bottom.         -   Stipules.—deciduous, ovate, 7 mm long and 5 mm wide, apex             acute and cuspidate, entire, both sides glabrous, both sides             Yellow Green 145A.         -   Petiole description.—grows to 6 cm long and 3 mm wide,             succulent, sparsely pubescent, Greyed Red 178B.         -   Leaf color.—top side closest to Brown 200A with veins Green             143A; bottom side Greyed Purple N186D with veins Yellow             Green 144B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—axillary, bisexual, cymose.         -   Number of flowers per cyme.—3 to 4.         -   Peduncle description.—grows 4 cm long and 3 mm wide,             glabrous, fleshy, Greyed Orange 165B; with 2 opposite,             dehiscent petiolate leaf-bracts below each cyme, ovate,             cupped, grow to 10 mm wide and 12 mm long, margins entire             and pubescent, tip acute, both sides glabrous, both sides             Yellow Green 146C.         -   Pedicel description.—grow to 25 mm long, 2 mm wide, fleshy,             glabrous, Red 39A.         -   Bloom period.—spring to early winter in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—2 cm long and 2.5 cm wide prior to opening.         -   Color.—Red 49C. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—monoecious, bilaterally symmetrical.         -   Pistillate flower.—none seen.         -   Staminate flower.—1.7 cm deep and 5.5 cm wide, 2 large outer             tepals, 29 mm long and 30 mm wide, orbicular, margin entire,             tip obtuse, base obtuse, glabrous on both sides, about 20 to             37 inner tepals grow to 25 mm long and 20 mm wide, decline             in size to the middle, mostly obovate, entire, tip mostly             acute, base attenuate, all but innermost tepals both sides             between Red Purple 55A and 55B, small inner tepals White             N155B on bottom half and 55C on top half on both sides; no             stamen.         -   Fragrance.—none.         -   Lastingness.—A cyme blooms for about 2 weeks on the plant. -   Fruit and seed: none, sterile -   Diseases and pests: The new cultivar is typical to the genus. No     known resistances to pests or diseases. No problems have been found     in Canby, Oreg. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct form of Begonia plant as hereby illustrated and described. 